Machine for marking cigars.



A. A. GROTH EI MACHINE FOR MAKING CIGARS. APPLICATION FILED MAYIIMIQIB.

Patented May 6, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I RN I I 11% I I mm d. 610%? A. GHOTHE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CIGARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I5, IQIS.

1,32,?90. Patented May 6,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wm N

IS'WU rMIb r1 w/ dz 42 (9,19%

A.A.GROTHE/.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CIGARS.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY I6M9I8.

L3fl 79 Patented May 6, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ABMAND A. GROTHE, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA MACHINE FOR MARKING CIGARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Application filed May 16, 1918. Serial No. 234,857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ARMAND A. GRoTrrfi, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Marking Cigars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

The present invention relates to machines for branding, printing or marking, indicating marks, such as the manufacturers name, trade mark, etc., upon the wrappers of cigars by means of dies or other marking devices, in which the cigars are delivered to the impressing members progressively and moved from the impressing members after the cigars have been successively subjected to the action of the dies.

An object of the present invention is to generally improve this class of machines, rendering the same more durable and comparatively inexpensive in the cost of manufacture.

With the above and other objects in View which will hereinafter appear as the description continues, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and formation of parts as will be herein after more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been shown a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the pre eise structural details herein exhibited, but the right is hereby'reserved to any changes, alterations or modifications to which recourse may be had that come within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing the efliciency of the same.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 4. is an enlarged section through the rotary die carrier; V

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section through the cigar carrier; and,

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectlon of the same.

Figs. 7 and 8represent enlarged detailed sectional views, parts being broken away, of the cigar carrier and die carrier.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views.

The machine as herein shown comprises a fixed bed or table 1 which is supported by the legs 2 and formed within the upper face of this bed 1 and extending longitudinally through the medial portion thereof is a groove 3. Journaled upon the supporting frame of the bed or table is a driven shaft 1 which carries a pulley 5 and this pulley is operatively connected to the electric motor 6 by means of the belt 7. This shaft l'also carries a smaller pulley 8 and this smaller pulley is connected to the pulley 9 through the belting 10. J ournaled within the bear ings 11 supported upon the frame is a shaft 12 upon which is mounted the pulley 9. Journaled upon the opposite end of the bed 1 is a shaft 13 and the shafts 12 and 13 each carry a pair of spaced sprocket wheels 14: which are operatively connected through the sprocket chains 15. The bearings 11 may be adjustably supported so as to take up any slack that may arise to the sprocket chains 15. Supported by each link of the sprocket chains 15 is a block 16 and mounted upon these blocks are the transversely extending plates 17. Each of these plates 17 has fixed thereto a trough-shaped cigar carrier 18 and each carrier is adapted to receive a single cigar.

Supported upon the table 1 and adjacent one end thereof is a pair of bearings 19 which have journaled therein a shaft 20. Keyed to this shaft 20 is a gear 21 which meshes with a pinion 22 carried by the shaft 12 and this shaft 20 also carries a sprocket wheel 23. Also mounted upon the table 1 is a frame 24 and mounted within this frame are suitable blocks or bearings 33 yieldingly supported upon the coil springs 34, in which is journaled a hollow shaft 25. This shaft 25 has keyed to one end thereof a sprocket wheel 26 and the latter is connected to the sprocket wheel 23 through a sprocket chain 27. A. bracket 28 is also supported upon the table 1 and carries an idler 29 which retains a tension upon the sprocket chain 27. One end of the shaft 25 is closed whereas the opposite or open end thereof is in communication with a gas supply pipe 30 and the latter is intended for supplying gas to the gas burner 31. Fixed to the shaft 25 is a rotary die carrier 32 and this die carrier incloses the burner 31, so that the heat from the burner may be supplied to the dies 33 secured to the outer periphery of the die carrier. This die carrier is flexibly supported so that the dies carried thereby will not tear or in any manner injure the wrappers of the cigars as they come in contact therewith, but the tension of the yieldingly supported members for this die carrier may be adjusted to the desired degree by means of the hand screws 34. Projecting over the opposite edges of the groove 3 are the plates 35 which prevent the carrier from becoming displaced as the proi ecting ends of the plates 17 travel beneath these plates 35. Also arranged within the grooves 3 are the tracks 36 upon which travel the sprocket chains 15. The pressure upon the die carrier is set at the desired degree, but the yielding support of this die carrier is not sufficient to permit all the cigars to enter without injuring some of them. To prevent the dies from injuring the cigars I provide a flexlble support for the cigar carrier as it passes beneath the die carrier. This flexible support or platform is arranged within the groove 3 adj acent the opposite sides thereof and arranged at each side is a pair of leaf springs 37 each having one end fixed as at 38 and their adjacent or inner ends overlapping as at 39. The adjacent overlapping ends of these springs are supported upon a block 40 and these blocks 40 are yieldingly supported upon the coil springs 41 but the pressur of these coil springs may be adjusted to the desired degree by means of the hand screws 42. By providing such a flexible platform or support for the cigar carrier as it passes beneath the dies, it is obx'ious that it is practically impossible to break the cigars as they are being marked, although the sizes of the cigars may vary greatly with each stock as the same may pass through the machine.

The trough-shaped members 18 are provided in their opposite sides with alining grooves 43 which make it handy for removing a cigar from tlQtrough-shaped members when it is not desired for that particular cigar to pass through the machine. Supported upon the frame 24 is a bracket 4a which carries a suitable indicator or register and this register is operated through a pronged wheel 45. The prongs of this wheel 45 project within the recesses 43 but should a cigar be seated within anyone of the troughs 18, it'will strike one of the teeth of the wheel 45 thereby registering the number of cigars that pass through the machine, but

should one of the troughs be empty the register will not be actuated and in this manner the exact number of cigars that pass through the machine are lndicated or registered. It

is desirable to have the mark on each cigar correspond and to cause the printing to be placed on the same place on each cigar the cigars should be properly fed to the dies. To cause the cigars to come in proper position below the dies I provide the guard rails 456. These guard rails are arranged on each side of the conveyer as better shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The outer ends of these guard rails are pivotally mounted as at 47 upon the table 1 and the opposite ends are connected to the table through the slot and pin connections 48, whereby they may be adjusted to the exact length of the cigars.

In using the machine the operator places the cigars upon the carrier until a single cigar is seated within each of the troughshaped members of the carrier. The carrier will then feed the cigars to the dies and the radially projecting dies 33 will mark, print or brand the desired inscriptions on the cigars and as the dies are heated by the heater 31 located within the die carrier the dies will print by searing'the wrappers of the cigars. As the cigars leave the (lie carrier the conveyer will convey the same to a suitable chute 50 which will deposit the cigars in a suitable receptacle.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cigar marking machine comprising a supporting table having a longitudinal groove formed in the upper face thereof, an endless conveyer adapted to travel within said groove, a rotary die carrier mounted upon said table above said endless conveyer, \means for operatively connecting said die carrier with said conveyer, projecting plates formed with said conveyer, leaf springs arranged within said groove below said die carrier, said leaf springs adapted to rest against said projecting plates, and an adj ustable and flexlble supporting member for said leaf springs substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A cigar marking machine comprising a supporting table, the upper face of said table having a longitudinal groove therein, an endless carrier adapted to travel within said groove, said carrier comprising a pair of spaced linked chains, a. block secured to each link of said chains, transversely extending plates supported by said blocks. the op iosit en of said plates extending beyond said blocks, longitudinally extending plates secured to the top and projecting over said groove, said )rojecting ends of said transverse plates a apted to travel below said longitudinally extending plates, a trough shaped cigar carrier secured to each transverse plate, the opposite sides of said trough shaped carrier having alining grooves therein, and a die carrier arranged above said endless carrier.

3. A cigar marking machine comprising a supporting table having a longitudinal groove therein, an endless carrier adapted to travel within said groove, lateral projec- 5 tions formed with the opposite sides of said carrier, flexible supports for said projections, said supports comprising a pair of leaf springs, said leaf springs each having one end secured within said groove, the opposit 10 ends of said springs being overlapped and adapted to rest upon the lower faces of said projecting ends of the carrier, a yielding and adjustable supporting block arranged below the overlapping ends of said springs, and a rotary die carrier arranged above said flexible supports substantially as and for the purpose specified.

hand.

ARMAND A. GROTHE. 

